The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1887-10-02
THE LEEDS DEYIL.
A Newspaper Paragraph that Recalls 4
Cheerfui Tale OF Hurlinstcn County. n. =.

A Nevspspe- Paragraph that Recalls q
oheerfui Tale OF Buriinrten County, n. =. (,
DoYLEsTowN, Pa, Oot 1.-"Hero 10 the
Leeds devil turned up again. surep' exclaimed
an old resident Of Burlington county, N. j.,
looking up in grent astonishmont from local
paper he was reading. The following para
graph prompted tho exolamation:
Something In tho bird limo seen byr D. Phelps
Of Mulberry O hhas the head Of the owl with ire
mendous black eyes. It's face looked like monkcys
with white cheeks and black streak over each eye.
tho rest Of the head inclined 10 gray with black dots
near the end OF each feather. The Sody covered
with beautiful plumage. Whenever he won't near u
would give most unearthly yell, that frightened the
doEs II whipped out evcry dog on tho place.
"That thing" said tho Colonel, lis not q bird
nor an animal but II Is the Loeds devil. 40
oording to the description, and IL was born over
in Evasham. Burlington county, Q hundred
years ago. There Is no mistake about II.
never saw tho horrible orittcr myself, but can
remember well whom It was roaming aroundi In
the Evasham woods, nifty yoars ago. and whom
II was hunted by mon and dogs and shot at ~
tho best marksmen there were In al OF , south
famfiy IN Ru B S Or any or tho adjoining
and il was The boogy.bQo 70 irlshten children
BY being. romindOd o., the dreaded creature.
the sa 8So pSrpose IN parts Of Burnsos
county. But Il hasn't been seen or heard In
ns H sso sdS Ss e. " H ms
ht sSiSa n st aR tns
pecting to hear. tho. unearthly yell once moro
soa %Sor es ala f tho s'd devil
ss5Ss% iss nss sS SSsys Bsa ss 9s
will have to walk good ways IN that region
before you find any one who donbts It. ,,~
was well known In ali that part Of the country.
Who was tho lie 81 ali tho corn huskinGs par:
Ing bees and 5 5ufts n ne
fused to settie down 70 quiet domestlcltss put
insisted on joining. in all the gay doings Of tho
gone Wien she asa s
she. was to DO q mother she became absolutely
Esksa ho ana
sss Nj. xss ga'@Ssi s y,Sisns T.. Ss ssRS
s she says u i thas H Ehas sons ts has
S Vsh na eSangs Of n addton. TSis womsn
s.s5 S ws b ,as aS Seya SSs hs
and Almost 6 shriefed: 'i AaAo' "'''' A'- A'''
nj hope t win be deyilp A
Tho next night the nurse appeared 0e hex
own house. pale and In great terror.
80 Mrs. Leeds Is Q motherp abe exclaimedj
but her offspring was u hideous deformity.
and dew up and out Of the chimney. shriekina
and screaming as It won't
This strange story created q great sense.
ton among the old -timo residents OF Evasham.
It was not believed, Of course, but the suapt.
con became general that Mrs. Leeds's child
had been made way with. and that the extrav-
agant story was told by the nurse to divert
man Who had Seea a Hunting y Tie EyssSan
which had frightened him away BY It's terrible
shrieks His description Of 1t lied with tho one
tho Leeds nurse had given. The strange creaS
ture appeared to othors from time to time. and
the description given OF It was exactly
like this one Of the queer thing that
Carolina, The ngrss's story was believed then.
and the Leeds devil became the terror Of the
region. 1t was hunted, as I said, for many
years. but II seemed to possess . charmed lie.
Silver bullets. which were said to be potent
against witches and bewitched things, were
fired at It time and time again, but they had
no effect on It. The last Time 1t was seen
Leeds. but every child over In ,Evashnm can
toll you all about the Leeds devil. I'll take
this paper with mo and read this paragraph TO
my neiRhborB, Il will please theM, ! Know"